The Beginner's Guide to Travel: Part 2/3 - Logistics

In this series of "The Beginner's Guide to Travel", I would go through all the nitty-gritty of planning a holiday. To travel is a luxury but at a huge cost. Not only would you need to put time aside to plan; you would also have to spend some money. I had gone through in Part 1 on how to plan a trip. Now, let's go through the logistics!

1. Get Your Passport, Check the Expired Date and Visa

You need to get a passport to travel! Apply for one if you don't have one. As a rule of thumb, your passport needs to have more than 6 months of validity. The Six Month Validity Rule is imposed by some foreign countries. Also, some countries would need tourists to get Visitor Visa or Tourist Visa. It's best to check on the country's immigration website for the details. Get it as early as possible as it can take quite a while to have your visa approve. You do not want to risk going to a foreign country without a valid visa because you may be asked to return home.

2. Purchase Your Air Tickets, Accommodation if You Have Not Done So

Read this blog post if you want some tips on how to save money for air tickets and accommodation.

3. Vaccines

Depending on where you are going, you may get into contact with rare diseases. You are required to get vaccinated when you are travelling to certain places. You can opt to get some jabs as well, even if it's not needed. I opted for typhoid and influenza vaccine when I visited the rural areas, even though it was not a requirement. I just wanted peace of mind when I travelled; hence I went for the jabs. It's essential to get vaccinated as it also ensures that you don't carry any contagious diseases around the community. It's important to take care of your health. Do get vaccinated at least 4 to 6 weeks before your travel dates, allowing the vaccines time to start working, so you are protected while you're travelling.

4. Buy Travel Insurance

You are highly encouraged to buy travel insurance for ALL your travels. It is vital for a lot of situation. You can claim for medical purposes when you have to see a doctor overseas. You can claim for flight cancellation and delay. You can also claim for luggage delayed and damages to your luggage caused by the various airline. I had claimed my insurance for multiple reasons, which is why I believe it's crucial to get one, regardless of the country you are visiting.

5. Change Money

You have to know what currencies you would need to use when you travel. You may want to note that not all European countries accept the Euro. Some countries have their own money. If you are transiting, it's best to bring some of that country's cash along to use in the airport as well. You may want to get a meal, snack or even a drink during your transit. For example, if you are transiting in Hong Kong for 2 hours, you can exchange around SGD 30 to Hong Kong dollars.

You can also get a multi-currency card. You can lock in the rates early, store the values in the card and used it overseas. However, please do not be too dependent on the card. I would still encourage you to have some cash with you at all times because not all the places accept card payment.

If you want to make your money worth, you have to track the currency. Let's use Japan as an example again. Japanese Yen fluctuates a lot. You have to observe it almost every other day. There are a few currencies that are quite stable, but you never know what would happen due to the economy.

6. Get Your Data!

Try and purchase sim cards before your travel dates. Some international airports allow you to reserve routers and sim cards, and you can collect from the shop once you arrive. Some telco organisations permit you to purchase roaming data on your current phone line as well, but this option tends to be more costly. It's good to have data with you at all times so that you can access Google Map. It's also essential to stay in touch with your family and friends, especially if you are travelling alone. Honestly, the last thing you want is to feel stress because you are lost, or have your loved ones worried about you.

So, that's all for Part 2! Most of these preparations are crucial to your travels, due to the regulations of each country or your health. It's essential to get them right, especially your passport, visa and air tickets! Without these 3 items, I doubt you would be able to travel anywhere. So, if any one of you here is a newbie to travel, have a chat with your family members or friends. You can even ask me too.

In Part 3, we would talk about some pre-trip checklist that you would need to check off.

Stay tuned for Part 3!